The Van Der Beek family is feeling extra thankful this Thanksgiving week.
On Monday, Nov. 22, James Van Der Beek, 44, confirmed on Instagram that his wife Kimberly Van Der Beek, 39, welcomed a baby boy named Jeremiah, who is already nicknamed Remi.
"After experiencing late-term #pregnancyloss twice in a row (both at 17+ weeks), we kept this one quiet," the "Dawson's Creek" star shared with his followers. "Truthfully, I was terrified when I found out."
James continued, "We found a doctor here in Texas who diagnosed the last two as having been caused by an: 'incompetent cervix' (I asked him what kind of misogynistic old dude invented that term and he laughed--which made me like him even more. Now it's called a #WeakenedCervix)."
According to James, a "simple" surgical cerclage was done and removed at full-term. His wife was ultimately able to give birth naturally on their Texas ranch.
"The medical books say to only look at a cerclage as an option after three late-term losses. Our doctor recommends considering it after one. Spread the word," he wrote. "Each child brings their own energy, their own manifestation of consciousness, their own lessons. The ones we lost each gifted us with different pieces of the puzzle...leaving us that much more grateful for the ongoing master class we get to enjoy with this sweet, wise little one."
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The couple's newest arrival joins older siblings Olivia, 11, Joshua, 9, Annabel, 7, Emilia, 5, and Gwendolyn, 3.
James and Kimberly previously opened up about suffering multiple pregnancy losses including one in November 2019 and June 2020. They would later partner with the American Red Cross to raise awareness about the need for blood donations.
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"My life was on the line," Kimberly previously told People in May. "What saved my life was blood transfusions, people who donated blood. Without them, I probably would not be here."
Before kicking off the holiday season, James had one final message to those who were able to keep the pregnancy private.
"To everyone in our community--both local and extended--who knew about our journey and honored our desire for privacy...thank you," he wrote. "May that respect and karma come back to y'all 1000-fold. Life is beautiful."
Kimberly added, "Life is so full I don't have the words. Jeremiah Van Der Beek, thank you for being here."
